This war is notable because... it lasted 38 minutes.¹ The Anglo-Zanzibar War was fought between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar on 27 August 1896, from 9.02 to 9.40²

The road to war

The war began with a catalyst in the form of the death of Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini on the 24th of August in 1896. He had, during his reign, co-operated with the British colonial administration as to the running of his country. However tensions had being growing in the area for some time before this. The British, at this stage a freedom loving and compassionate world power, was pushing to end the slave trade in Zanzibar started by the Omani in the 17th century. Sultan Hamad bin Thuwainis' nephew, Khalid bin Bargash, seized power in a coup following his death. The British favoured Hamud bin Muhammed, a royal cousin, who was less anti-slavery³ than Bargash, and delivered an ultimatum ordering Bargash to give up his throne.

Preparing for war

Bargash refused, and assembled an army that consisted of about 3000 men. Mostly men recruited by his own immediate families and a few disgruntled soldiers. The highest ranked soldier to support his coup is thought to have been a colonel. He also created a Navy in the form of the former Sultan's yacht, the H.H.S. Glasgow. He ordered the fortifying of the palace,⁴ called the Beit el-Ajaib or House of Wonders. Meanwhile the British quickly assembled three warships in the harbour in front of the palace followed by a further two the next day. Eventually the British had three modern cruisers, the Edgar class armoured cruiser HMS St George, the Pearl class protected cruiser HMS Philomel, the Archer class cruiser HMS Raccoon, and two gunboats HMS Thrush; HMS Sparrow in the harbour in front of the palace. The British also landed parties of Royal Marines to support the "loyalist" regular army of Zanzibar⁵, of about 900 men in two battalions led by General Lloyd Mathews.

War!

The new Sultan got a bit worried⁶ and attempted a last minute negotiation for peace, through the U.S. embassy on the island. The Royal Navy ships opened fire on the palace at 9.02 am on 27 August 1896 as soon as the ultimatum ran out. The Sultans Fleet⁷ was soon sunk, and the palace, even fortified, was taking a bad knocking and he was losing a lot of men. Bargash made a tactical retreat⁸ to the German embassy, where he was granted asylum. The shelling stopped at 9.40. Most contemporary sources put the dead at around 500.

The British demanded that the Germans hand over the former Sultan to them to face charges, but he escaped Zanzibar on the 2nd of October, 1896. He lived in exile until he was captured by British forces in Dar es Salaam in 1916. He was eventually freed and he died in Mombasa in 1927.

Hamud bin Muhammed had his coronation the next day with much dancing in the streets.⁹

The cost of war

As a final proof of the their control of the country of Zanzibar, the British demanded payment from the Zanzibar government to cover the cost of the shells fired on the country during the course of the war, every last minute of it.